Gotta Serve Somebody
by sugarapplesweet
Summary: I never thought I was much of anything. Just a woman stuck working at a dead end job with only the night shift and my next minimum wage paycheck to look forward to... Could always have been worse, though. After all, I could have been that guy instead.
1. Part One

**Author's Note:** Yet another AU because we all know that Sugar has not started enough of them as it is... I'm limiting myself to a five-shot for this one, though, since I just need to clear out some more ideas of mine.

That and the fact that Rick needs more love, yes?

My inspiration was, once again, the awesome _Jean Cooper,_ and although the setting isn't quite as relevant now as it was when I first started writing this story, I'm still dedicating this whole story to her. After all, without her, I can never seem to get anything done any more. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon nor its characters. I also do not own or have any rights to the celebrities, movies, music, or any other cultural references in this story.

**Part One**

"Can you put that on my tab?"

"You know we don't keep tabs here, Rock," I replied dully, flipping yet another glossy page of my magazine. I wasn't usually one for reading _People_- too much celebrity bull shit if you asked me- but I still tried to make a good show of it. After all, if it meant I didn't have to look at that idiot's face, then Paris Hilton was the most fascinating woman alive as far as I was concerned.

And that was really saying something, too.

"Aw, come on, babe," he whined, pouting as he leaned on the counter. I didn't even have to glance up from my article to know the man was pleading with me with those big, brown eyes of his, but I chose to ignore him as best I could. Too bad he went right back to talking when it didn't work. "Hey, how's about you let me off easy this time, and I'll take you out this week? A girl like you shouldn't be working here on a night like this anyway."

"Rock..." I sighed, finally setting down my magazine long enough to look him straight in the eyes. "If you can't pay up front for a case of Milwaukee, what makes you think you could take me out anywhere other than the back of your car?"

He only stared at me for a moment as the words sank into his thick skull, but when they finally made it through to the little walnut, he just smiled. Of course, it would figure that he'd be too damn stupid to just take the hint and leave. "There's plenty of room..."

"Listen, are you going to pay for it or not?" The man actually jumped back when I snapped at him, but I just continued to glare a hole through his big forehead. "Because if you're not, I'm just going to ask you to leave." Then, with a heavy sigh, I tried to regain my patience and start again. "I'm sorry, Rock, but I have work to do. You know how it is..."

"Uh, yeah..." he agreed, scratching the back of his blonde head. Then, without any warning, he shoved the case right in front of me. "Hey, can you hold this for me? I've gotta get my wallet."

I simply watched as he disappeared out the door and around the corner, and when I was sure he was gone, I took the beer right back where he'd found it. After all, I knew he wouldn't be back that night and, God willing, probably not the next.

With him finally gone, I perched myself on the stool in front of the register once again, and not a minute later, I found myself yawning which didn't improve my mood much. Not when it was only eleven and I was stuck there for another six hours.

You know... when I left home, I never thought I'd be stuck working the night shift in some crummy gas station just off the interstate in some dumpy little town. I didn't think about sitting under flickering fluorescent lights, half of which were shut off to save a few extra dollars, and staring at CornNuts as they fossilized on the shelf. It just was never supposed to be a part of what was going to be my lifelong dream.

Of course, I'm pretty damn sure no one ever went to kindergarten and told their teacher they wanted to grow up and work minimum wage, either.

"Hey, are you guys still open?" I managed not to roll my eyes, but unfortunately for me and whoever happened to be walking through the door, my mouth just couldn't seem to stay shut after hearing such a stupid question.

"Nope. Just thought I'd sit here until someone came to see me rob the place." The person laughed, and it was then that I looked up. At first, I couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman, given the unusually long hair, but I realized soon enough it was the former or the two. And it wasn't just because of his face or the fact he was so damn tall.

After all, hands that big couldn't belong to any woman... at least none that I knew of.

"Jeez, Karen..." he chuckled as he shook his head and came to lean against the counter. "Bad day today or something?" I was just about to tell him off, but before I could, he looked me straight in the eye for the first time since he'd walked in. The poor man turned red all the way up to his ears and the roots of his hair, and it was all I could do not to laugh right then and there to see him so embarrassed. "Sorry 'bout that. I thought you were-"

"Sorry to disappoint you, buddy, but she's workin' day shift now... Has been for the past month." He glanced down at the floor, his glasses reflecting the light and obscuring his eyes, but even though I was ready for some kind of quick comeback or at least another apology, once he lifted his gaze, he only offered me a faint smile.

"I was out of town for a while."

"No skin off my nose," I assured him before going back to my magazine. The man didn't seem to mind the apparent snub, going on about his own business as if nothing had been said to either one of us to begin with, but I still couldn't help watching him browse the aisles between pages fourteen and twenty-seven.

As I'd said when he first came in through the doors, he was a fairly tall individual, but while he was a little on the lean side as well, he wasn't lanky or awkward by any means. In fact, he moved rather gracefully... aside from his hands, that is. Which took out not only a bag of chips toppling onto the floor next to him but nearly tipped over a stack of styrofoam cups as well.

I still did my best to fight back a snicker or two, but it was hard doing. That is until he started to make his way back to the counter and my shirt suddenly seemed to become the most fascinating thing in the world... Even more so than Miss Paris Hilton.

"That gonna be all?" I asked, glancing down at his selection.

Boxed wine, a lighter, and a pack of double-A's...

By the looks of it, I had a feeling pretty boy was in for one hell of a fun night.

"Got any pipe tobacco?" he asked, not even bothering to look up from the counter. I still couldn't see his eyes because of the reflection on those glasses of his, but I did take notice of just how thick his lenses were. Not that the heavy black frames helped all that much. "I ran out the other day, and I haven't been able to find any since."

"Sorry, that's not something we usually carry..."

"Half 'n' Half is fine." I studied the man for a moment, but he didn't even seem to notice as he dug around his back pocket to find his wallet. I never really understood how men had so much trouble finding the damn things in their own jeans, but he was having the exact same problem as the rest of them. Except for, of course, his situation with those clumsy hands of his which were more than a little stubborn about doing their job.

"You don't look like the kind of guy who'd smoke..." I don't really know why I said it. Maybe it was because of the way he was just so calm compared to most of the jittery types that came in around that time of night, but whatever it was, he still flinched when I asked the question. "So you didn't used to, I take it?" He only shrugged. "Well, that would explain why you didn't ask Karen about it earlier. She could get it for you just as easily as I can, just so you know."

"I guess so..." he replied with a smile. "She'd be pissed to find out about it, though. I can promise you that."

"Then I guess I'll have to keep my mouth shut, won't I?" He chuckled then and shook his head, but he didn't say a word as he laid his money on the counter. However, before I could give him back his change, he was already headed out the door and into the street. "Hey! Hold on a second!"

But it was too late...

He had already gone.

--

"It was just so weird. I kind of just stood there, you know? I mean, it's not like he could really go anywhere that quick..."

"Knowing Rick, he probably just went through the field." I stared at the woman, my magazine and Lindsay Lohan suddenly all but forgotten, but she only smiled knowingly at me with that look in her eye. The one that made me wonder if I was just chewing gum or even something worse stuck to the bottom of her high heel pumps. "It's the shortest way to his apartment."

"How would you know, Karen?" She just laughed and brushed back her long blonde hair before lighting her a cigarette. Even with that nasty habit, she really was a beautiful woman... From the way her bleached bangs framed her elegant features and high cheekbones to her stunning emerald eyes, she was any man's dream. All she needed was a big, red bow and a card that said, _All Yours,_ and she would be gone. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

She laughed, crossing her legs while she did so, and as always, I couldn't help but notice how long and graceful they were. Of course, that was probably what she wanted me and everyone else to notice since she was wearing yet another one of her miniskirts. The one that went so perfectly with her shirt that was just like all her other shirts that were cut just a little too low and a size just a little too small.

"We grew up together," she explained. "He still likes to hang around, though."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing..."

"It's not that I mind..." she assured me, running her nimble fingers through her hair once again. "But I don't think he needs to see me every damn day, either."

Well, that made sense to me. What with me feeling the exact same way about Rock and all...

Except for Rick was a lot less aggravating.

--

"Hey, you working late again, babe?"

"Yes, Rock... I work late _every_ night." You'd think even that idiot could figure that out for himself being as he always showed up just to see me. Most women probably would be just tickled to death to have all the attention, but when it came right down to it, I guess I wasn't like most women. At least not any that would even think twice about taking him up on a date. "If you're not going to buy anything, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

For once, the young man didn't say a word or even try to make an excuse. He only stared at me for a moment, and like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, he slunk off towards the door. On his way out, though, he happened to brush against another, and it was one I just so happened to recognize.

I knew it was kind of strange for me to watch the man come in and browse the shelves, but same as always, he didn't pay any attention to me. At least not until he came up to the counter, that is, when he would smile and try to make some small talk.

"So... does that guy come in every night?"

"Unfortunately."

My reply must've struck the man as funny since he actually laughed instead of cracking his usual smile. It was a pleasant sound, rich and deep. It was just like velvet, the way it came so easily to him...

I shook my head then to rid myself of the thought as I had never been one for reading poetry. And I sure as hell wasn't about to start writing my own. After all, it wasn't like I knew anything about him aside from his name, and even then I only knew the first half of it. If that.

"Feelin' alright?"

"Just tired is all, Rick." As soon as I said it, my face flushed, but it was too late for me to take it back. He'd heard it just as sure as I did, but of course, being his usual self, he was more amused by my comment than anything.

"How'd you know my name?" he asked with a soft, teasing smile. "I don't think I ever told you what it was."

"Karen mentioned you the other day is all." Even though my explanation was simple enough, I saw the reflection in his glasses flash just to hear me mention the sensuous woman, and I had to wonder just what it was about her that caught his interest. "She said you were a good buddy of hers."

The man's face fell after I said it, leaving me with a stab of guilt in my chest. He recovered quickly enough, though, and soon his expression went back to its usual laid-back appearance. "Yeah... we go way back," he agreed with a chuckle. "Give her my best, will ya?"


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

"I look like hell..."

Brushing back my bangs, I could only stare back into my old cold, dead eyes reflecting back at me through the bathroom mirror. I knew it was the cause of more than just the unforgiving fluorescent lights overhead, though... even if they did make my hair and face look grey and lifeless even more so than usual.

"Claire? Are you alright in there?" I jumped, my hands gripping the sink, but when I realized it was only Karen, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you done? I need to start getting ready for my date."

I rolled my eyes, asking myself just why it was urgent for her to change at that very moment, but I stepped out all the same. Not a moment too soon, either, because as soon as I opened the door, she charged right past me and slammed it behind her.

"What's the damn hurry?" I muttered, brushing back my bangs once again with a huff. It wasn't like she couldn't just wear what she had on. After all, even after her eight hour shift, she still looked the just as fresh as she did that afternoon. Me on the hand?

Not so much.

Too bad the only thing I could think to do was sigh... that is until I saw the yellow Jag pulling up to one of the pumps and the man that stepped out of the driver's side door. A man in a tailored suit, no less... one that was pumping his own gas.

He was fairly tall from what I could tell, but his sturdy build made him seem just a few inches shorter. He was no over weight by any means since even from behind the counter I could see he was built like a wall... Not that I was really into men that looked like they walked straight off a movie set, but it was still worth taking notice of.

"Good looking, isn't he?"

My body went rigid to hear the woman whisper in my ear, but when I went to glare back at her, I was left in a state of shock. So much so that my mind went blank for a moment before I could even think to say much of anything in ways of a compliment.

"Well, if you don't look the part..." To be honest, I never would have thought the girl had any real class, but always being one to prove me wrong, Karen had surely found some. Gone were the tight shirt and miniskirt and on went the little black dress while costume bangles and gold hoops had given way to diamond studded bracelets and chandelier earrings. All of which had her going from harlot to starlet in under fifteen minutes.

"He's a lawyer," she continued, showing off a rather wicked row of blinding white teeth. "He owns his own firm, too."

"What's his name?"

"Jack Thomas," she replied as she flipped back her hair. "He was in corporate for a while, but he says he makes a lot more this way."

"So are you thinking of snagging him then?" As soon as I said it, she laughed, but I didn't see what was so funny. After all, she was the one who told me a day earlier that any man a girl had to work for was the best she was ever going to get, and even though she certainly had the looks, I knew it only came naturally for someone like her.

"I already have," she explained with smug satisfaction. "He's been coming here every day since I started working this shift." Ah... so that was why she was so eager to tell me about him. Not that I shouldn't have seen it coming, of course. "You're working tonight, right?"

"Why do you think I'm here?"

"Well, it's just you seem to like it here... I mean, most people don't come into work an hour early unless they have to. You know?"

Of course I knew... I'd always known that. The only reason I was even there at that time was because there wasn't any where else for me to go, and I'd had just about all I could stand when it came to staring at the walls of my studio apartment. Not to mention all my friends from back in high school had either gone off to college or started up families. The latter of which I never did quite understand although it was really no business of mine what they did with their lives.

Whatever they were doing was certainly better than what I was doing with my own anyway.

"Maybe you could find-" Just before finished her statement, the man swaggered in the door, and while she didn't exactly squeal to see him, the way she pranced on over to him had more or less the same effect. "Hello there, handsome... Did you miss me?"

"Terribly," he assured her, kissing her deeply which was more than what was needed right then. At least in my opinion. Then again, maybe that was how real men were supposed to behave. If that was the case, though, I figured I might as well just give them up all together. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"This is Claire," Karen replied with a smile. "She's the one who took over my shift for me."

Her companion nodded wearing a rather smug grin of his own, but I could only try to look past them before my gaze fell to the floor. Not that I was embarrassed since it was the truth, but I would've thought I meant more to her than- "Then I suppose I should thank you for being the one to let me meet such a beautiful woman such as this."

Oh be still my beating heart...

"No problem," I assured him. Then, smiling as best I could, I rang up the total. "Well, before you two run off and have your little date, that'll be seventy-three dollars."

--

I never would have thought that I would miss the little bastard, but after four hours and no Rock, I was starting to get restless. Not that I wanted to see him, of course. It was just that no one else had come in all that time, and I was getting desperate.

After all, I had already finished stocking the shelves both in front of and behind the counter, and the freezers had been cleaned out the night before. I had even gotten bored enough to mop the floor just to try and keep my sanity for a little while longer. It was some kind of miracle, too, because it was about the last thing I ever wanted to do whether I was there or at home.

The worst of it had to be when I ran out of reading material, though, including the latest copy of _Trucks 'n' Trailers_ which was a real shame, let me tell you.

By the time five had come around, I hadn't even so much as seen a punk walk past the place, and while I wasn't a hundred percent sure what had happened, I had a good feeling I had fallen asleep at least one or twice... if not more. Not that it had done me any good, of course.

It was only after an old man had come in a quarter after that the damed monotony was brought to an end, but as soon as he left, I realized just how tired I actually was. As if it was hard for me to understand why when it was about time for me to punch out, and not surprisingly, that also happened to be when the morning rush decided to charge on through.

Which, for once, was just fine by me.

--

This all went on for the next month or so, and every night it seemed to be more and more of a struggle for me to keep my head together. The long hours and the flickering lights were only the beginning, but the frightening thing was how I slowly came to accept it all as some twist of fate. A dull one, but a twist all the same.

The cruel part of the whole ordeal turned out to be when I first came to the place, and it didn't take much for me to figure out why. After all, I had Brad and Angelina to remind me of just where my life was going.

Absolutely, fucking no where.

Every time I saw her, Karen had a new dress, another rock, or sometimes both. I was just waiting for the woman to have a pair of knockers, but being that day never came, I could only guess her assets were enough for that sugar daddy of hers...

"Is somethin' wrong, Claire?" she asked, pulling me out of my sudden nightmare. "You look like you just swallowed a bug."

"I'm good." Even if the thought of her and Mr. Big Shot having their alone time was- "So! I take it you and him are going on a date again tonight? You sure know how to find yourself a real winner."

"Well, I had to go through a lot of bull shit before I finally got a man worth keeping," she reminded me. "You know, Claire, I was just thinking... All this time we've been working together, I don't think you've ever had a guy."

"It's not like any of th-"

"Oh, don't give me that," she sighed before setting down her purse in front of me. One that I immediately recognized as a Gucci bag from one of those fashion magazines. "You haven't even tried looking, so I don't want to hear that none of them are good enough. There's gotta be at least one guy out there for you, but you'll never find him in time if you don't just go for it."

"And what makes you think I even want to?" After all, it wasn't like I really needed a man... even if he was a lawyer with a nice car and his own business. Or firm. Or whatever the hell they wanted to call it. "I actually like being on my own."

She looked as if she wanted to argue, but before she could, there was the angry blast of a car horn demanding that she come outside. "Well, that'll be Jack, but don't you dare think we're done here. We still have a _lot_ to talk about."

--

"So, babe, you have any plans tomorrow?" I sighed, glaring up from the editor's page and at the young man standing on the other side of the register, but as always, he just smiled back at me. "Aw, come on, babe... You can't tell me you didn't miss me coming here very night."

"And why can't I?" I muttered darkly, my eyes still narrowed. "It's not like you actually buy anything, so why even bother coming here in the first place? Just sounds like a waste of time if you ask me, and anyway don't you have something better to do? Like harass someone else."

"You know I come here to see you, right?"

Well, I wasn't so sure about that. After all, I knew for a fact that Karen had to deal with him just as much as I did back when she was working the same shift. Of course, if I had to guess the reason why he still came, it all came down to the fact I still had enough chest to keep him interested. Not that there was much to it, but it was there all the same.

Then again, it did seem strange to me that he had disappeared for so long. Usually when Rock pulled a stunt like that, it was because he had found a new interest to catch his attention for while. He never picked his game back up so quickly before, though, so I kind of had to wonder if-

"Hey, Claire, has that other guy come in at all?"

"Not lately, why?" As soon as I said it, I flinched being as I'd said more than I meant to, but he didn't even seem to notice. Not that I was surprised... although what came out of that big mouth of his next did knock me for a loop if only for a moment.

"Just seems like you like him is all... I mean, whenever he's in here, you stare at him the whole time, and-"

Before he could finish, the chime over the front door rang, and the very man we had been looking for came walking in. At least that seemed to be what he was doing even the fair bit of stumbling that went with it. Of course, unlike most of the drunks that came through in the middle of the night, there seemed to be another problem aside from the whole drinking issue, and it only took one good look at him to figure out why.

"Rick, where are your glasses?" He lifted his head just as I made my way to the other side of the counter, but when he did, I had to hold back a gasp. "And what the hell happened to your face?"

He only glanced down at me with an eyebrow raised, but when he finally thought it over some, his whole face began to turn red. Almost as if he was embarrassed about the whole thing. "It's nothing," he assured me. "Just a black eye."

"Did someone punch you?"

"No, it's not as bad as all that..." He looked away then, seemingly searching for something or other, but having not found whatever it was he was looking for, his gaze fell back to me. "Can you show me where the wine is? I don't really remember... but I know you guys have some. Am I right?"

"We do, but you're not having any of it." He was surprised, of course, but he didn't try to argue, and if I hadn't known better, I might've thought he understood why I wouldn't give it to him. "I've got your tobacco if you want it, but that's it. Unless you want coffee, I guess."

"No... that's alright," he chuckled, shaking his head. "The tobacco's enough for me tonight. Thanks."

I nodded, and although I hesitated at first, I eventually got my wits back enough to go and ring him up. However, he didn't so much as shift positions while he waited for me. "Okay, now there we go... but can you wait for just a minute before you head out?"

After he gave me a nod, I slipped back over to the register where Rock was still standing. He gave me a strange look, but before he could so much as think to open his mouth, I jerked his head down to my level. Not that there was much of a difference between us to begin with. "What is it, babe?"

"Can you make sure he gets home alright?" I asked, biting back a sigh to see him wince at the mere suggestion. "If you do this for me... I'll go on a date with you tomorrow. It's my day off, so... any time you want is fine. Just make sure he gets where he needs to go."

"You mean it?"

"Like I said... as long as he makes it back to his apartment," I warned. Letting go of his for a moment, I wrote down something for him and handed him the small slip of paper. "This is my number. Give me a call as soon as you guys get there."

"Sure thing," he agreed, snatching it from me with a grin. "But do you really think he'll let me go back with him? I don't think he likes me all that much..."

"That makes two of us," I muttered under my breath. Luckily for me, though, he either didn't hear me or was to dense to even pay attention to what was being said. "Look, he'll probably let you if I'm the one telling you to do it. I don't even care if you're not walking right next to him just as long as-"

"He gets there," he agreed with a nod. "Don't worry, babe, I got this."

With that, the young man gave a kiss, but although I was sure I flinched, he didn't seem to even notice. He was too busy talking to his rather unsteady companion, but he did take the time to wink back at me and wave before disappearing out of sight.

Leaving me to go to the bathroom to wash out my mouth and wait for a phone call.


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

"Dammit, Rock! I tell you to do one thing thing for me, and you can't even give me one fucking call?"

There was a bitter chill in the air as I stormed out of the station, but I barely felt it as I ripped open the door to my Bronco with my purse gripped tightly in one hand and my phone in the other. However, both items were soon thrown against the passenger's side window only to land in the seat before I had even swung a leg inside the blasted thing. It was really all I could do not to slam down the accelerator as soon as I started her up and threw her in reverse, but somehow I managed to control myself just enough for it not to be a problem.

"'I got this, babe,' my ass," I continued to mutter as my tires squealed and dragged me onto the street. "I knew I should've followed him home... Not like anyone comes in after midnight anyway." As it was, though, at the very least I had a good idea of where he lived, and that meant I also had a good chance of making sure he was okay on my own.

That was if I could figure out just what apartment he lived in.

The east side of town had never exactly been the best place to live, but that also meant it was one of the cheapest. There the paint on the houses was almost always peeling, and every yard was either overgrown with weeds or littered with toys making the lawns appear to be a battlefield. One in which toddlers and grade schoolers alike fought over ice pops and juice boxes during the warmer seasons, but at that time they were mere reminders of what had been only a few months before.

However, the worst of it had to be the apartments that were wedged between the houses and the railroad tracks beyond which there were a few abandoned factories still standing. There were four of these rental properties with two on either side of the side, each one ground level and made to house five tenants and the occasional parter.

It was hardly reassuring for me to know the man actually lived in one of them, but while I hated to admit to it, it did seem like it would be just the place for him. After all, he was a quiet man, and there was no other street that had more silence to offer than the one on which I parked my rusty old Ford.

At first, the only thing I could think to do was knock on every door until I found him, but just as I was about to give it a try, I heard a car door slam.

"And you can keep your fucking ring, too!" I blinked, glancing back over my shoulder just in time to see a blonde woman throwing what I assumed to be the said ring, but before I had a chance to look away, she was charging right towards me. She had her key in hand, but it was only after she came to stand next to me that she even realized I was there. "Oh, honey! And what're you doing here?"

"Um... have we met?" She only stared at me for a moment, her emerald eyes wide and curious, but then she smiled. She had a beautiful smile, really, but it still couldn't hide the black stains on her cheeks.

"Not that I know of," she laughed, "but you must've come to see me for something. Isn't that right?"

"Well... I am looking for someone," I agreed with a nervous laugh of my own. "He was looking a little rough last night, so I just wanted to make sure he was alright."

"Oh, you must be looking for Rick then." I felt my face warm as soon as she said it, but the woman only smiled. "I saw some guy dropping him off just when I was headed out," she explained. "I thought it was a little odd since he doesn't have any guy friends... but I guess it makes a lot more sense now."

Before I could even ask her what she meant, she pointed to the other side of the street. "He lives right over there in number eleven, but I wouldn't park there if I were there if I were you. They ticket on this street."

"Can you tell me where I can-"

"Just bring it over here for now," she offered with another smile. "I don't have a car, so feel free to use my space. I won't mind. After all, if you ask me, you're a nice enough girl. It's not very often that he has someone trying to look out for him, you know."

"But I'm not-"

"Honey, if there's one thing Muffy knows, it's the way a woman thinks, so just go on over there and knock already." With that and a gentle push in the right direction, I found myself heading off towards the man's apartment. Unwillingly, of course, but heading there all the same. "Don't forget to move your car!"

To be honest, by the time I finally got to that damn door of his, I was feeling exhausted, and I had a pretty good feeling there was more to it than working all night. Not to mention all the worrying I had to go through in the past six hours. "As if coming over here wasn't enough... now I have a nosy neighbor and-"

"Claire?" I jumped back from the door, only just having realized it was open, but when I did, I just about fell over. Until Rick caught me, that is. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's fine," I assured him, pulling my arm away as gently as I could. "I know it's probably kind of weird for me to be here, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright is all..." I explained. "After last night, I mean."

He studied for a moment, and it was then that I noticed his glasses were once again perched on his nose. What started me most, though, was how his lenses magnified the bruise I had seen that evening. It was an even darker shade of purple then, and although I tried my best not to, I still flinched just to look at it.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Well, it sure as hell ain't pretty," I sighed. Before I could stop myself, I reached out to touch it, but when I did, he winced. "Sorry... Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, but-" He paused for a moment, his attention being taken by something just over my head, but just as I was about to look behind me, he began again. "Hey... you just got off of work, didn't you?"

"I got off at six," I agreed with a slow nod. "I'm used to it now, though, so-"

"How about I get you a cup of coffee then?" he asked, stepping aside from the door. "I've already got the maker going, so it shouldn't take too long."

I hesitated at first, glancing back over my shoulder and towards my car, but when I did, I thought I saw one of the curtains in the window flutter. Not that it surprised me any, of course, but I rolled my eyes all the same. "Might as well, I guess."

Not like his lovely little neighbor lady didn't all ready have any ideas of her own of what was going on.

Rick only nodded before leaving the door and making his way inside, but it took me a moment to get the courage necessary to follow him. It wasn't so much that I was nervous about being alone there with him, but I still had a feeling I was taking this a bit too far. After all, even if I'd been worried about him, it was plain to see he was just fine without me having to come in for a drink.

"Don't leave the door open for too long," the man scolded me, his back still turned as he stood over the sink. "I don't have the heat hooked up yet."

With a sigh, I did as I was told and came inside. When I did, though, it was all I could do not to start coughing, and my first thought was to head right back outside. I just might have done that, too, if it wasn't for him setting my coffee down on the kitchen table, but as it was, I could only sit down across from him.

"Is something wrong?" I shook my head, not wanting to open my mouth just in case I ended up gagging, but he knew better than to believe me. "Sorry about the smell... I tried cleaning up after last night, but it's been a rough morning."

"It happens." Not wanting him to go into any more detail, I tried to change the subject. "So this is where you live, huh?"

The apartment was small with only one room for a living space, and in that room he could just barely fit a loveseat, a television, a card table, and two folding chairs. There was a kitchen, of course, but even that was unforgivably tight with just three cupboards and a range top. However, what seemed to make it all the more claustrophobic for me had to be the sickening yellow color that seemed to stain every surface of the place.

"Yeah... I haven't been here for very long, though," he explained with a soft, reluctant smile. "Just the past couple of years."

"Where were you staying before that?" My question seemed to have caught him off guard, but although his gaze lifted to meet my own, he didn't say anything. At least not before taking a long sip from his coffee mug. "Sorry... I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it," Rick assured me with a casual wave of his hand, "I know it sounds a little strange, especially for someone my age, but I was still at my mom's."

I was quiet for a time, my mind buzzing with questions, but before I could stop myself, I went right ahead and asked the first one that came to me. "Was she sick?"

His head snapped up then, his eyes wide with surprise, but soon enough he was smiling again. Like always, though, it was a rather sad sight to see. "Yes, she was..." She _was_, meaning that- "Did Karen tell you about it?"

"No. Well... not that I can think of anyway." Of course, there was always the possibility that I might've missed something since I had been ignoring her for the most part the past couple of weeks. Not that that was too surprising when all she wanted to talk about was her new boy toy. "If you don't want to talk about it, though, I understand."

"That might be better." Then, as if nothing had been said about the matter, he went right back to drinking his coffee. The silence that fell was heavy, but even though it was uncomfortable at first, I soon felt more relaxed than I had. Maybe it was just that I couldn't remember what it sounded like, or maybe it was the man's company that made it so welcoming. Whatever it was, I liked it. A lot.

Still...

"I should get going." I stood, but my legs felt more like lead than anything else. That was until I took my first step towards the door and loosened them up a bit. "Thanks for the coffee, though." Then, as an afterthought, I smiled back at him. "Just be sure to talk better care of yourself, okay? I don't want to have to ask Rock to take you home every night, you know."

The man only shook his head, but even as quiet as it was, I knew I heard him chuckle at least once. "I think that just might cure me," he agreed. "Thanks for that."

With that, I showed myself to the front door and then my car, but just as I shut my own door and went to start it, there was only a click. I cursed under my breath before trying it again. Another click... and then another when I tried for a third time. "Come on... start up already. It's not that cold out yet, you piece of shit."

"Having trouble?" I jumped in my seat, but when my head spun to face my window, Muffy just laughed. "I don't know if you know this or not, but Rick over there has a way with machines," she offered with a smile. "He could always help you out if you need him to."

I glared at the woman, knowing all too well what she was hoping for, but in the end, even I had to admit to myself that it was probably the best thing for me to do. After all, I didn't know anyone else I could ask, and I didn't have the money to pay for someone to poke around and find out just what the hell was wrong with it. That still didn't mean I wanted to lose... not to her at least.

"Fine."

Rick seemed to be surprised to see me back at his door... which was more than understandable given that I had just left, but as soon as I explained the situation, he brushed right past me and went straight for the car. I had no idea of what came over him, but whatever it was, he was much livelier than he had been before. Especially when he popped open the hood to take a look.

"Well, now... seems like you hit the sweet spot with this one, honey." I didn't so much as have to glance over my shoulder to know it was Muffy who whispered in my ear, but when I glared at her, she only smiled. "Did you know he's the one who fixes everything around here? That's why he doesn't have to pay rent."

"And why are you telling me this exactly?" I asked rather irritably. After all, it really was no business of mine what he did for a living or how he paid for that apartment of his. If someone could even call it that when it was so damn small. Not to mention he and I had only just-

"I think it's your battery," he announced suddenly, slamming the hood back down again. "When's the last time you had it replaced?" A blank stare was my only answer. "Well... by the looks of it, it's a goner. Can't tell for sure, of course, not without the right equipment,, but it wouldn't hurt to get a new one in there anyway."

"Can you fix it here for her, Rick? " my unwanted companion chirped. "You fixed Nami's car the other night, didn't you?"

The man blushed slightly, but he smiled all the same which told me he was more than a little flattered by the compliment. He was still modest about the situation, though, and I was more grateful for that than anything else. "Well, I could give it a try," he agreed, "but I'll have to go into town first. Can't very well replace a part like that without something to replace it with."

"Oh, come on now," she scolded him with a playful wag of her finger. "You can't have this poor girl wandering around in this weather to find something like that. Especially not when she has not idea what she's even looking for."

"I know," he assured her, his voice flat as if to say he knew full well what he was doing. "That's why I'm having her wait here until I can buy one myself."

"Well, she can't stay here with me," the woman huffed, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder. "I have to work tonight, you know that. It's not like I can sleep with her in my house for God knows how long."

Even though she sounded serious enough, I was sure both Rick and I were of the same mind when it came to thinking she was trying to set something up for the two of us. Luckily for us, we were just the right kind of people who knew better than to fall for that. At least I knew I was... which was all that really mattered.

"That's fine," he assured her. "She can wait over at my place until I can get things taken care of." Then, turning back to me, he said, "It might take a while, so feel free to take a nap if you want."

I had to admit the idea sounded rather good at first being as I had been up for the past sixteen hours, but as soon as I found myself alone in the apartment, I started to have second thoughts. After all, it wasn't my place, and I didn't know the man very well. About the only things I even knew about him was that he was an old friend of Karen's and that he lived with his mother right up until the day she died. That and the fact he had a way with machines, but it was still all very little in the end.

However, just sitting down on his plaid couch, I could tell there would be no sleeping there. Not if I wanted to be able to sit up without feeling like I broke my back when I had to get up again. The only other real option I had was the bedroom, but although I had a feeling his bed would be even just a little more comfortable than the fossil he had in the living room, I still couldn't quite convince myself to go in there.

At least not until I tried laying down on the couch for the first time.

Like the rest of his apartment, Rick's room was cramped at best with only just enough room for a person to stand in front or on either side of the full bed. There was a large dresser and a small desk at the foot of the bed as well, and it was there that I found out just how much of a mind he really had for tinkering around with things. Especially electronics if what he was working on was any indication.

Of course... I had no real way of telling what it was since I wasn't very interested in much of it myself, but going on what I did know, there were more than a few various dials, needle nose pliers, and screwdrivers. Not to mention the seemingly hundreds of little glass tubes that were scattered around, threatening to fall on the floor and bury themselves into the shag carpet only to be stepped on and shattered later.

The walls were still the same awful yellow as the rest of the apartment, of course, but just seeing all of the pieces that went into his hobby was more than enough to reassure me if only a little. I also happened to like the dark wood stain of the furniture and the forest green bedspread which gaze the room some much needed warmth. The warmth that someone did in fact live there.

However, there was one last thing that caught my eye, and it just so happened to be sharing the only end table with a lamp.

It was a radio, but there was something different about it. For one thing, it was the size of an alarm clock, but although the screen did show a number, it only had two digits. There were also at least five dials, only two of which had any labels left with one being echo and the other tone. The only other noticeable feature was the corded mike attached to it, but as a result of having been awake for so long, I had no idea of what it could be used for.

The only thing I knew was that I needed sleep... the sooner, the better.

--

"Hey, Red Baron, got your ears on tonight?"

My eyes snapped open as soon as I heard the unfamiliar voice, but when I went to sit up, there was no one. The room was just as empty as it was that morning, but the door had been closed. It was darker as well with only a few streams of light peeking in through the blinds leaving me to wonder just how long I'd been asleep.

I sighed then before falling back onto the bed, not wanting to get up just yet. After all, it was much warmer under the thick blankets, and I really had no reason to leave... Not when the only thing I had to look forward to was staying up all night and watching infomercials.

Besides, even if I never would've thought it would be something I'd actually like, I had to admit the smell of pipe tobacco and cheap wine wasn't all that bad. It kind of reminded me of something... but I had no idea was it could be. Not yet anyway.

"Hey, Red, where the hell are you, man?"

Before I could even think to try to find where the voice was coming from, the door opened. It was Rick, of course, but when he came into the room, he didn't seem to even notice me. At least not at first... which was more than a little strange with him standing there right next to me. Then I saw the man reach down for a moment, but in the dim light of the room, I had a hard time telling just what it was he was doing.

"Sorry 'bout that, Snake. What'd you need?"

"Didn't interrupt something, did I?" the voice laughed. "Never thought you'd pull that kind of thing, Red." There was the sudden crackling of static, and I winced to hear a sharp squeal that sounded like a needle being dragged across a record. "Ouch. Guess I had the mike up too high there."

"Still getting used to that new one of yours?"

"Yeah, but you know how it is," the other replied. "For being so damn wonderful to have, you'd think the bastards would be a little less touchy."

The two went on like this for a time, but soon enough, Snake's voice began to fade. Then it was gone while leaving only the sound of static behind, and finally there was only silence.

"Must be out of range..."

"What is it?" The man jumped, having forgotten I was still in his bed, but when he saw it was only me, he only chuckled and shook his head. "Is it a radio?" I continued, still gazing up at him through the darkness of the room. "I saw it earlier, but I didn't know what it was."

"It's a CB," he explained. "A citizen's band radio. You don't see a lot of them any more, but some people still use 'em... Mostly just truckers, though."

"Like Snake?" He nodded as he sat down beside me, but he was rather quiet for a minute or two. I had no idea why at first, but then I heard a click just as a small flame sprang to life mere inches away from his face. After lighting his pipe, he puffed on it for a time, and I just had to smile. It kind of suited the man... although I really had no way to explain how or why.

"Yeah." Then he laughed. "I don't really like the guy all that much," he admitted. "But he sees my sister more than I do, so I still talk to him if he's passing through..."

"Do you still talk to her at all?"

"Sometimes." He was quiet again, staring out the blinds and onto the street as he continued to puff on his pipe, and following his gaze, I suddenly remembered about my car. The only problem was how to bring it up... especially when we were on what seemed to be a sensitive subject for the man. Before I could ask any further, though, the radio crackled back to life.

"Damn bear in the grass up on I-131," Snake muttered. "Coulda told me 'bout that one, Red."

"Maybe if you stopped putting the hammer down so hard," my companion replied with a huff. "I told you Hare keeps an eye on the north side, so don't even tell me you didn't know."

"Easy there, Red," another voice warned. "I was the one who told him I thought the old bear was done in for the night."

"Who's that?" I only whispered to the man, but in the dark, I didn't even see that he had turned on his mike to reply. To be honest, I didn't think it was loud enough for either of the men to hear, but the laughter told me otherwise.

"Hey, since when do you have a lady friend over there, Red?"

"Yeah, man, I thought you only flew solo."

"Is that what you were up to last night? And here I thought you were silver fishing it again!"

The two continued to jeer at him, sometimes trying to talk at the same time which for whatever reason would result in a sudden silence, but Rick didn't pay them any real mind. He just picked up the mike and chuckled to himself. "Hey, Snake, better shut up and drive if you're planning on gettin' up to Esky tomorrow. The bridge ain't gonna be pretty this time of year."

With that, he flipped a switch and the white noise and the small red numbers of the radio disappeared. "I'm sorry," I apologized in an effort to break the silence that soon followed. "I didn't think they'd hear me..."

"Don't worry about it," the man assured me with his pipe still clenched between his teeth. "Louis was just playing it up 'cause of Snake, but he's in the same boat as me right now. He won't rag on me too bad for it."

"Is he a truck driver, too?"

Rick just laughed as he went to stand, but I didn't see what was so funny. That is until he explained. "No, he's like me. He just likes to mess around with kind of thing, that's all... Oh, that's right. Before I forget, I got the battery taken care of, but I think there's something else wrong with the alternator. I had a friend of mine come and take a look at it for you, so it's at his place right now. He shouldn't charge you too much for it, though. He doesn't ask for a lot when it comes to labor."

"How am I supposed to get home then?"

He only looked back at me and blinked which told me it was probably the first time he had even thought about it himself. "Well... you could stay here, I guess. He said he'd have it done by tomorrow afternoon since he already had the parts."

Even though I knew the man meant well, I still couldn't keep myself from sighing as I went to get out of bed. If he noticed, he kept it to himself, but I didn't really care wether he heard it or not. It wasn't his fault I had such a shitty car, of course, but I didn't exactly feel too happy about having to stay with him any longer than I needed to.

"Is it okay if I get us something to eat?" The man nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table to what seemed to be a computer of some kind or at the very least some pieces of one. "You really like that kind of thing, don't you?"

"Keeps my mind off of things," he replied with a shrug. "My father used to own a repair shop in the next town over for appliances and stuff, so I guess he's the one I got it from. I can't remember when I started doing it myself, though."

I continued to listen to his story as I searched the cupboards, but it didn't take me very long before I figured out there wasn't much for us to eat. Other than a can of baby onions. The refrigerator offered more or less the same, and in the end, I only found a small bag of frozen peas and a small tub of butter to go with the other. "When's the last time you were grocery shopping anyway?"

"I don't each much."

"So you've been drinking your dinner then?" I could all but hear the man wince, but I didn't really think about it much. After all, he and I both knew he had a problem, and if I knew his habits as well as I thought I did, it sure as hell wasn't going to be fixed tonight. "Well, it's not a lot, but tonight you're eating something."

He said nothing else to me while I went to work on stove, but I was too angry to really care. There was just something about the way he chose to live that irritated me to no end, and I wasn't about to apologize for it. Not when it seemed to me that he was only killing himself.

Dinner, if a person could even call it that, didn't take all that long to finish, but by the time I got it on the table, Rick had apparently finished whatever it was he had been working on. It even turned out that I might've known a thing or two as well since it was in fact a computer. At least the more important part of it as there didn't seem to be a monitor or a keyboard in the apartment that I knew of. "Did you fix that for someone."

"Just wanted to know how it works," he explain, serving himself a few spoonfuls of peas and onions before putting a small dab of butter on top. I stopped him before he had a chance to eat any of it, though.

"Give me a second to pray." He may have given me a blank stare at first, but after a hesitant nod, he went to bow his head. "Thank you, Lord, for bringing us together in order that we may share this meal, and may it be blessed to our benefit. Amen."

"You know, I never would've thought you'd be a church goer..."

"I'm not." He looked confused, but I was quick to explain. After all, it didn't make much sense to me either when I took the time to think about it, so I could understand his uncertainty. "My dad always had us say a prayer before dinner," I explained. "It was kind of weird because he never took me to church or anything like that, but I guess it's just something we always did."

"Sounds like you were close." There was a bitterness in his voice as he said it, but I tried not to question him. We all had our secrets from time to time, and if the way he spoke of his own father was any indication, there was still a lot of tension between the two. "Must've been nice."

"Well, he was the only person I had," I replied with a heavy sigh. "My mom ran out on us when I was little, so he was all I had growing up. Probably for the best, though. I don't think she was really the motherly type to begin with."

"My father was the one who left us," Rick muttered under his breath. "I still don't know why Mom ever forgave him..."

"Some people just hold grudges longer than others," I assured him, finishing off the last of what was on my plate. "Sorry for bringing up that kind of thing, though. I really didn't mean to-"

"It's alright..." he sighed. "It doesn't bug me as much as it used to."

I had a good feeling he was lying to me, or maybe it was more to himself, but I let the issue drop there. Even if I was still curious, there was really no point in getting him upset over something that was better left to the past. Not to mention I was going a little too deep as it was since I had no intentions of getting any closer to him. He might have been a regular back at the station, but he was still just another customer.

"Do you drink at all?" I glanced back at the man as I turned on the faucet, but he was all ready busy digging through the cupboard that stood over the fridge. The one I had been too short to reach. "I don't know if you'd want any of it, but I have some champagne Karen brought over the other day."

"Shouldn't you be the one drinking that then?" Not that I really wanted him to drink at all, of course, given the condition he was in just the night before, but he seemed so fond of the woman that I would've thought he'd be a little more appreciative... Then again, I knew there was a good chance that I could be wrong.

"Not really. I don't care for the stuff all that much, but if you don't want it, I can always give it back. A brand like that isn't cheap, so somebody's gotta drink it one way or another."

Ah, so it was from Jack. It would figure... the rich bastard.

"I guess I'll take a glass then," I agreed. A small smile made its way across my face as I said it, but I still tried to hide it from him. After all, there was no point in letting him know how much the idea appealed to me right then. "Just one, though. The last thing I need is a hangover tomorrow."


	4. Part Four

Part Four

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

"Like you're one to talk," I snapped, throwing back another glass of the bubbly stuff. "Weren't you the one who needed a babysitter last night? Just get me another one."

The man sighed, but he still poured me one more... Well, it was more like the last since the bottle was empty, but I didn't really care. Thanks to that bottle, I was feeling a lot better than before. At least I wasn't so damn depressed.

"You know, it's gotta suck being you," I chuckled as I leaned back in my chair. "I mean... look at this place. You gotta be able to do better than this..." He glared at me for a moment, but then he sighed and picked up his own drink once again. I wasn't sure how much he had had, either, but I figured he was dong better than me. After all, he drank every night from what I could tell, and I only ever bothered when there was someone else to buy for me. Which almost never happened. "Is that wine any good?"

"Not really," he admitted with another sigh. "I have enough money for better stuff, but I'm not exactly drinking for the taste... Why? You want any?"

"I'm good." To be honest, I was probably anything but, yet there really was nothing I could do about it after the fact. Not when I'd had so much to drink as it was. The first one had just gone down so easy that I got careless. That was all. "Gotta love that warm and fuzzy feeling, though, huh? It's kinda nice every once and a while..."

"That's the part that gets people," he warned. "It's dangerous that way."

"You must've been one hell of a brother," I laughed, resting my elbow on the table as I looked him in the eye. "Your sister probably hated you, I bet. I don't know what it's like to have brothers and sisters, but I hear it's rough."

Rick was quiet, staring down into his glass before lifting his gaze to meet mine, but I just stared right back. I had no reason to be sorry. We all had problems, and I figured the least I could was let him talk a few of them out. After all, I sure as hell needed to at times, and he was still worse off than me... at least as far as I could tell.

"You really are a mean drinker..."

"Don't change the subject," I muttered. "Come on, you can tell me. It's not like I've got anyone else I can go tell, so your deep, dark secrets are safe with me..." Then I laughed. "Unless you two were doin' something you shouldn't have been, that is."

"You're worse than Karen..." I only glared at the man at first, and when that didn't work, I just about went and told him just what I thought about that little hussy of his. Before I could even open my mouth, though, he opened his own. "Anyway, my sister's living out by Vegas now, I guess."

"Vegas?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. "That's kind out there for someone from 'round here, isn't it? Does she like to gamble or what?"

"Not that I know of," he replied with a sigh. "She got married to some guy down there, though... He's Snake's older half-brother apparently, and he's got his own restaurant and bar off the Strip somewhere." He sighed again, only heavier this time, and shook his head. "She's just asking for trouble with a guy like that if you ask me, but there's not much I can do about it at this point."

"Must be rough on you then." He only nodded. "But... I guess it's up to them if they can make it work out. I'm sure she'll come running back to you if it doesn't, though, huh?"

"Hard to really say," he muttered. Then he poured himself another glass of wine before tossing the empty carton over his shoulder and into the basket sitting behind him. "She was a lot of trouble for me and Mom growing up, that's for sure."

"I think all little sisters are like that," I assured him with a smile. "Or I guess it's more of a girl thing all the way around. I know I gave my dad hell as a kid, and I don't think he's ever forgiven me for it, either."

"Well, if you acted like this, I wouldn't have forgiven you either," he teased with a smile of his own. "Must be hard wearing that smile all the time... I never would've guessed you be such a brat."

"You'd want to be one, too, if you had to put with Rock every night," I assured him. "That little bastard couldn't even call to tell me you were alright, and I was so damn worried that-"

"You were worried?" I only glared at the man, knowing I had no way to take any of it back, but when I did, he just laughed. "You're just like Karen, you know that? God forbid anyone find out you guys actually care about something."

"No, I'm not... We're nothin' alike."

He was quiet then, blinking at me in confusion, but I was still angry as I tried to make my way towards the bathroom. Just the thought of the woman was enough to make me sick... or maybe it was the whole bottle of champagne I downed just before standing up. It was hard to say. All I knew was my head was spinning, and the last thing I wanted to think about was her and how much better her life was compared to mine.

"She and that lawyer of hers can just fuck off," I mumbled bitterly to myself, leaning heavily on the nearest wall. "I know my life sucks without little Miss Angelina and Brad fucking Pitt reminding me every damn time I have to go to work."

"And who are we talking about now?" I blinked, realizing for the first time that Rick was standing over me right then, but even though I jumped, he didn't seem to notice. He only continued to guide me along my way to the bathroom...

Which was a good thing since I just about fell in the door without even knowing it.

"Can you make it?" I nodded and stumbled inside before closing the door behind me. After all, the last thing I needed was for him to watch me pee... or crack my head open on the floor because I was too damn drunk to stand upright.

Staring at the linoleum floor, I did have to ask myself just what I thought I was doing, though. After all, I was beating on the poor man rather hard, and all when he was only trying to pay me back for having someone take him home. Not that I ever wanted for him to worry about it in the first place, of course.

"Claire?"

"I'm alright," I called back, picking myself up once again. It was embarrassing being treated like this... especially at my age. I was acting like a teenager trying to be cool around the older kids, and even without having to see myself in the mirror, I knew I looked anything but. I was pathetic. Just a bitchy little girl who worked in a gas station and didn't know how to grow up. "Rick, can I ask you something?"

There was only silence. When I opened the door, though, he was still standing there waiting... Well, he was doing more leaning than standing with his hand covering his face. He looked sick, maybe even worse than the night before, and I felt a stab of guilt for letting him get so bad on my own watch.

"Do you need to lay down?"

"That just makes it worse." He was right, of course, but I really didn't know what else he could do. Other than maybe throw up, but after his last episode, I had a feeling he'd had enough of that. "You know...you'd think I'd stop drinking after having this shit happen every time... but I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet, have I? One of these days, I'm just gonna-"

"Why do you always drink then?" He only blinked. "Don't you ever think about it?"

"Why _don't_ I drink?" he muttered, sliding down onto the floor. I crouched down in front of him, wanting to be sure I could hear him, but when I did, he only buried his face in his hands and sighed. "Mom's gone just like the rest of them, and now I'm living alone and working out of this dump. And you're asking me why I drink like this? Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you're killing yourself?"

"Like it'd really matter if I-"

"Don't you dare say it because I can tell you right now that it _would_ matter if something like that happened to you!" I snapped, tearing his hands away from his face. "At least it would matter to me... and it damn well better matter to you, too."

Rick only stared at me for a moment, no doubt being too scared to say much of anything, but soon enough I heard him start to chuckle and then to laugh. Not that I really knew what was so funny at the time. If anything, it just made me even more angry with the man, but before I got the chance to tell him as much, his face was only a mere breath away from my own.

Which wouldn't have been much of a problem if he didn't smell like bad wine and stale tobacco.

"Mind telling me why it matters so much to you if I'm okay or not?" I blushed as soon as he said it, but when I tried to back away from him, I found myself being trapped between him and the couch. Not that I was afraid of him, of course... I mean, it was Rick, and it wasn't his fault that I drank too much.

So why was I suddenly so embarrassed?

"I don't know. I just... Well, it'd be kind of lonely if you weren't around, you know. I mean, not a lot of people come in after midnight, so it's kind of nice to have you around. And-"

Before I could even finish talking in circles, I was caught off by a sudden kiss. He almost missed, having to lean over me with his hand holding onto the back of the couch for support. It wasn't exactly bad, though... Just a little unexpected was all.

Of course, so was me pushing right back.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe I was just tired of waiting for some man in a suit to come along in his sporty little car and take me away. Whatever it was, I didn't really care. All I cared about was how his lips felt against mine... and just how much better his mouth tasted when my tongue was busy exploring it.

I almost had to laugh, though, because as soon as I started to do just that, he pulled away. His eyes were wide with disbelief as if he couldn't believe what had happened. Not that it was much of anything just yet. "What's wrong?" I teased with a smile. "You kissed me first, you know."

Rick said nothing at first as he slumped back against the wall, but I wasn't about to let things stop there. Not when I wanted another taste and maybe even more. After all, wasn't it about time to have something I wanted just for me?

"You know..." I continued, crawling over to join him. He tried to hide it, but I still caught him as his eyes made their way down my shirt while I did so. Of course, he was quick to look away as soon as he knew he'd been found out. "I always kind of liked you."

"Is that right?" He smiled then, but I could tell he didn't believe me. At least not yet. However, when I straddled myself on his lap, he seemed a little more convinced.

"Mhmm... I used to watch you walk around the store," I admitted, leaning further into him. "You're not that bad looking, really... but you might want to be more careful with those hands of yours."

The man's face flushed, turning red all the way up to his ears just as they had the first night we met, but I only smiled before pressing myself against him even further. Something which he apparently liked more than he was willing to admit since I soon felt a very particular part of him making itself known against my thigh. "Claire, really, I don't think-"

"Then don't," I teased, whispering in his ear before giving it a playful lick. His whole body tensed, but I knew better than to stop. Even if it'd been a long time since I tried anything like it, I still knew all too well what we both wanted. The only problem as far as I could tell was us being on the living room floor... Not that I minded the shag carpet all that much, but it seemed to me we could do better. As soon as I went to tell him as much, though, I felt his lips being pressed against my neck, and I had to bite my lip to swallow a ragged sigh. "Rick... please just-"

My words hitched in my throat as a cold breeze raced up my spine. His hand brushed up along my side and took my shirt along with it, leaving me vulnerable to the chilled air of the apartment, and I found myself wishing that his hands were just a bit bigger so they could keep me warm. I went to kiss him again, but this time he didn't try to pull away even when it became deeper than the last. If the way his hand continued up my shirt was any indication, he was more than willing to let things go a little further. Then he hesitated.

"Are you sure about this, Claire?" I closed my eyes just to keep myself from rolling them, but when I did, it only confused the poor man even more. So much so that his hand began to slip back down towards my hip which, at the moment anyway, was the last thing I wanted.

"Don't." Rick stopped, waiting for me to tell him what I wanted, and it was all I could do not to laugh. After all, you'd think this was his first time with the way he was acting, but that couldn't have been it. At least... I hoped not. "Am I really that scary?"

"It's hard to tell," he admitting as he struggled to smile. Then, looking away for a moment, he ran his fingers through his long red hair and sighed before laying his head back against the wall. "Maybe we should-"

Before he could even think to try and finish, I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it off over to the side. I planted my hands on the floor on either side of him then, my eyes never leaving his, but I said nothing at first while I waited for him to make a move. I knew he couldn't escape, and he knew it just as well as I did. That was until he stood up right out from under me.

He tried to step back only to meet the wall behind him, hanging his head and hiding behind his bangs. Not that it did him much good since I could still see much of his face and the startled expression that was stuck there.

I'd admit I was angry... but really, I had every right to be. There I was trying to have a little fun for once, and then he had to go and brush me off? Wasn't I good enough even for someone like him? Someone who had nothing but a crappy little apartment and a drinking problem. Someone who was still in love with some girl he grew up with and just didn't know how to-

"You're drunk," he muttered and then shook his head. "And so am I." I just glared up at the man before righting myself and I stood in front of him, jabbing him in his bony chest with two fingers, making him cringe.

"If I didn't want it, do you really think I'd be trying so damn hard?" Wasn't like I'd strip myself down just because I had a drink or two... "If you don't want me, just fucking say it," I continued, my voice trembling as I gave him another jab. "Quit being nice and just say it already. Because you wanna know what? I've had it. I've had it with people being nice, and when I want something, they don't want a damn thing to do with me. Not a damn thing."

Having told him off the best I could, I turned to the bedroom, and on my way towards the door, I snatched my shirt off the floor. I still didn't bother to put it back on, though, if only to give Rick one last reminder of just what he was missing out on.

Without even thinking, I left the door open as I flopped on the bed and switched on the radio. At first, there was only the soft hum of an empty channel, but after toying with a few knobs, I found one that was active. From what I could hear, it seemed to be a traffic station, but as long as it tuned out my thoughts for even a little while, I could care less what was being said.

"Claire?"

I tensed, trying my best to ignore the man just long enough for him to lose whatever interest he had left in me, but even when I curled myself up into a ball on his bed, he still waited for an answer. I only sighed, but after muttering quietly to myself, I managed to find my voice again. "What?"

He was quiet at first, but even though I refused to look at him, I heard him take a step into the room and then the soft click of the door closing behind him. He made his way over to the bed, but being as he had enough trouble seeing in the daylight, it was really no surprise that he found it with his shin. His breath was warm on my face as he hissed in pain, and to be honest, I was surprised to find he was so close. For whatever reason, though, I just had to laugh.

"You really are a klutz," I teased, making room for him to join me. "Is that how you got that black eye of yours?"

"Not on this thing," he replied with a faint chuckle which I could only guess was meant to put off some of the pain. When I only stared back at him, he sighed. "I ran into the cupboard door," he explained. Even in the dark, I knew he was blushing, and it was all I could do not to start laughing again just to imagine it. "The one by the door is always coming loose..."

"So... why'd you come in here?"

"It's my room, isn't ii?" I just punched him in the arm before rolling over, but even without seeing the smile on my face, he knew I wasn't mad. "Sorry... About earlier, I mean."

"Then make it up to me." I felt my cheeks warm when I said it, but I didn't apologize for it. He knew what I wanted, so there was no point in telling him again. I only waited for him to make a move. After all, it _was_ his room...

Rick said nothing as he pulled me closer to him, and without even thinking too much about it, I swung my leg over him to bring him even closer. He didn't try to escape this time, but I felt his body tense again. Not that it surprised me any. He was still nervous, and when I thought about it, so was I.

Even then... I was more than willing to let him kiss me. He didn't waste any time in picking up where we had left things in the other room, either, and I sighed to feel his fingers glide up my side before slipping under the cup of my bra.

I moaned as the cold air of the room brushed over my breast, but the sound was muffled by the mouth that held my own. His large hand easily overtook what little there was to be had, and it was then that I realized just how small I was compared to the man. Not that he gave me much time to think on it before his fingers slipped behind my back and undid the clasp, and too be honest, I was more than a little surprised at how effortlessly he did so. When I broke away form the kiss we had lost ourselves in to tell him as much, though, his lips began to make a burning trail down my neck and along my collar bone.

So the man really did know he was doing...

I gasped to feel the warmth of his mouth come over my breast, running his tongue over the hardened tip. What got my attention the most, though, was when his hand found its way down the front of my pants. I ground against him then, and for the first time that night, he groaned in reply. Something which was just enough to make me to do the same.

Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed to go further because soon enough his fingers had slipped under the thin, silk fabric of my panties. His hand was cold, causing my nails to dig deep into his arm. Not that he seemed to mind any.

"Damn... you're so wet," he whispered, his voice dark and husky. I only hissed as his fingers ran over my slick folds and teased the swollen nub hidden there.

"I told you I wanted it..." I went to kiss him then, but when I did, he only went deeper. I whimpered with pleasure, arching into him that much further, and crushed my lips against his own. This, of course, made his stop if only out of shock, but as soon as he tried to, I had a firm hold of his wrist just to keep him there. "Don't stop, dammit... Don't you dare stop..."

"You want it that bad?" To be honest, I almost laughed to hear him say it, but it wasn't because of the question. It was the way he said like he couldn't believe what was happening. "What?"

"Just shut up and keep going," I giggled despite myself, kissing him again. Luckily for him, he knew not to argue this time, and just as I began to explore his mouth once again, I felt his hand start to make its way back down. He did more than just that, though, and what he did was enough to nearly send me over the edge right then and there.

With one tug, my jeans were gone, and it was only in the far back corner of my mind that I thought I heard them hit the floor. He was resting on his side now, his long hair brushing against my cheeks as he leaned over me. I vaguely remembered feeling his fingers trail up along my leg while I gazed into his eyes for a moment, and just as he went to kiss me, I soon realized my panties had gone with the rest without my knowing.

His fingers pressed deep into my folds, causing my head to snap back with surprise as I bit my lip to keep whatever sound there was to be made stifled to a low moan. For how clumsy I had always assumed those hands of his were, they sure seemed to know what they were doing. It didn't hurt all that much... but to be honest, I found myself wishing he could go just a little deeper. Just enough to-

"R-Rick!"

Before either of us knew just what had happened, I'd flipped the man under me. There I was only about half his size, straddling him with my clothes being scattered around the room, and it was at that same time that I took notice of his hardened member now resting against my inner thigh once again. It was just too bad he still had his jeans in the way... Not that it would take much to take care of them.

After all, it didn't take long for me to unbutton them or start to lift that damn sweater of his, and if he didn't try to get out from under me a little and do it himself, I probably would've been able to. Of course, when it came to getting them the rest of the way off, or at least his pants, well... he hesitated.

_Again._

"Don't worry about it," I assured him, pushing his hands aside as I crawled up the bed and back onto him. I heard him groan slightly to feel my hands make their way up his chest and my arms around his neck while bringing my body up against his own. "You don't have to take it all off if you don't want to, you know..."

Even in the darkness, I could just make out the smile he was wearing.

"And how's that?" he asked, his warm hand resting on my hip. "You're not going to flip me over again, are you?"

"Not unless you want me to..." I didn't give him any warning before tugging his pants down just far enough for the man to have to bite his lip as the cold air brushed over his length. He still couldn't stop himself from moaning again and letting his eyes roll into the back of his head when my fingers trailed over the tip, though.

"Son of a bitch, Claire..."

I only smiled quietly to myself before sliding my body down his own, my breasts gently grazing over his lower region when I did so. It had been a while since I had done anything like it, but...

At first, I just gave the man a playful lick, his body tightening to feel the warmth of my breath against his skin, but I didn't hesitate to tease him even further. My tongue swirled its way around the tip at its own leisure, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see his hands grip the sheets and ball them up into his fists. I couldn't help smiling to myself just to see it, but I wasn't done just yet.

To be honest, he was bigger than I thought... but it didn't stop me from taking as much of him as I could into my mouth. He hissed and threw his head back when I did, and I did it once more just to hear him do it again. This time, though, he could only look down at me out of one half-lidded eye, clearly left at a loss for words.

Smirking with my own satisfaction, I drew away from him for a moment and brushed back my long hair, giving him a full view of my body. He watched, his chest rising and falling with staggered breathes, but as soon as I went to go down on him again, he took a firm hold of my arm.

"I'm close..." he warned quietly, his voice thicker now. "There's no way I can..." His words died away to see me make my way back up on top of him, but this time I hovered over him with my heat teasing the head of his length. I heard him take a sharp breath and grit his teeth, but I couldn't help teasing him a bit more by pulling away. "Claire, I really can't-"

Before he could even think to finish, I lowered myself down on him and clenched my inner walls as tightly as I could around his length until I had brought myself all the way down to the hilt. Then, ever so slowly, I lifted myself halfway off oh him. Just as he began to relax, though, I brought myself back down once again, arching my back and moaning to feel the man inside me.

Maybe it was because he had been gotten so quiet all of a sudden or maybe I was just selfish... but whatever it was, I began to feel as if Rick wasn't even there. All I could feel was the small flame inside me while I worked myself over the man. It started from what felt to be my very core before burning its way up through my chest and over my shoulders.

I quickened my pace as much as I could, biting my lip to keep myself from crying out anything but a whimper, and just when my head felt like it might start to spin, i felt the warmth run out of me. At that point, my strangled cry became a gasp, and before I could even register what was happening, I felt another warmth rush back inside. I knew it wasn't of my own doing, though... especially if the pleasurable groan that came from under me was any indication.

Neither of us said a word when I slipped off him as effortlessly as I could manage. There was only the sound of my rustling while making my way under the sheet, finally giving in to the chill that was in the room, and that of his zipper. Making me smile if only a little.

For a while, we just lay there side by side and stared at the ceiling. I wanted to say something... anything, really, but even though my head was starting to clear, I couldn't think of the right words to use. After all, it wasn't like we were a couple...

Just two people who had too much to drink and no one else to sleep with for the night.

"You should get under here," I said at last, lifting the blanket for him to join me. Rick only nodded at first, but after a moment, he shifted himself over. Not before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and bringing me closer to him, though. The only thing I could seem to remember after that was the faint scent of tobacco and wine and then the soft click of the radio that I had long forgotten was even on, and then...

Then there was only the dark silence of the early morning.


	5. Part Five

**Part Five**

"You gotta be fucking kidding me..."

At the time, it was all I could think to really say, but it wasn't like I ever would've thought this kind of thing could happen. At least not when I had just run from the exact same problem not even fifteen minutes before.

I hated to admit it, but this wasn't the first time this happened to me. There was a reason I didn't drink all that often, at least not as much as I had that night, and I was sure as hell remembering why right then. Especially when I had to see that damn name up on the wall in big, red letters on a blue and yellow sign.

"_Smitty's Bump Shop,_ huh?" I chuckled weakly. "And here I thought he hated that nickname..."

"I still do." Having just opened my car door, I jumped to hear the man's voice, but when I went to look up at him, I just about went out cold right there on the steering wheel. Not that he really gave me a chance to do it before he opened up that big mouth of his. "What are you doing here with this car anyway?"

"Well, it's my damn car," I snapped back. "I figured Rick would've told you that, but I guess you're still not much of a morning person, are you?" The man's face flushed when I said it, but soon enough those dark blue eyes of his narrowed once more. Luckily for him, I wasn't really in the mood for an argument because given the mood I was in, he would've lost more than just his pride."You want my money for fixing this piece of shit or not?"

He leaned back away from my door, giving me just enough room to step out and come face to face with him, but even though I would've like to have just paid my bill and went, he just couldn't hlep but push a few buttons. "Since when are you two living together?" he asked roughly. "Or did you just shack up with him last night?"

"That's none of your damn business!"

Just when I had gotten myself ready to give him a piece of my mind, I heard the front door of the farmhouse open. A little boy was standing there, his own blue eyes narrowed in the same way as the man in front of me, but as soon as the man saw him, his face softened. Something which told me the child was his even if the mop of black hair wasn't.

"Go inside," he ordered. "It's too damn early for you to be up anyway. Get back to bed." The boy nodded, and with one last look at me, he closed the door again. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that kid..."

"I take it he doesn't like to sleep much?" The man just sighed, pulling his hat down over his eyes, but I could tell he was smiling. "Anyway... what do I owe you, Gray?"

"Just enough for the parts," he assured me. "Rick called in a favor, so don't worry about it."

"You can't be serious..." As soon as I said it, he frowned, but he didn't argue at first. Something which was more than a little unusual for him. He just dug into his front pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and after offering me one, an offer I declined, he lit his own and leaned against the front of my car. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to quit being so fucking stupid." To be honest, I never cared for Gray all that much, and it didn't take much for me to remember just why that was. It was the way he talked... like I wasn't worth any of his time. Like he was doing me a favor by putting up with me... or like he was my god damn father. "You really should stop drinking like that, you know. You get yourself in a lot of trouble that way."

"I could say the same to you," I reminded him coldly. "Is that how you got yourself that kid?"

It was a terrible thing for me to say, but I didn't take it back. Not when there was a good chance it was probably the truth. After all, habits like that didn't go away so easily, and I was starting to think that maybe I knew that better than anyone. If my track record with these things was any indiction, that is. Something I wasn't particularly proud of, of course...

"You know, you really are a-" Before he could light into me, he was quiet again. I didn't have to look behind me to know why having heard the sound of someone walking over the frost covered ground, but I still winced to see Rick standing there.

He really did look a hell of a lot worse than when I left him asleep in his apartment. After all, when I first woke up next to him, he looked so at ease. He was the only man I had ever known to sleep so so damn silently, and at first I hadn't even been sure he was actually asleep. Something which had been a real problem for me when it came to finding my clothes. He slept through it all, though, and after finding my car parked out front, I thought I had a clean breakaway.

Little did I know the man who fixed it for me would be someone I knew as well.

"Don't worry about it, Claire," Rick assured me with a smile. "You don't have to worry about paying for this." At first I wondered why he would bother to tell me the same thing twice, but as soon as I knew what he meant by doing so, I felt my whole face warm. "Hey, Gray. Sorry for askin' you to take care of this for me."

"Not like I have anything better to do lately," the other replied with a shrug. "Business hasn't been all that great, you know... but I wish you wouldn't bring me into this kind of thing. I told you women were trouble."

Rick just laughed, uneasily at best, but he didn't say anything more. However, as soon as he went to dip into his back pocket, I spoke right back up. "Hey, this is my car, so let me pay for it. You already did enough."

"It's fine," he insisted. "I told you I could handle it, so I'm handling it."

"But I want to." Both men just blinked at first, but even though I wasn't expecting it, Gray was the one who starting laughing. "What's so damn funny?"

"Just never thought I'd hear someone running to shell out that much money. That's all." As soon as he said it, my face flushed again, but I wouldn't take it back. Not when I wanted to keep myself from having to owe anyone anything more than I had to. "How's about you two split it even, and I get back to work? Sounds good if you ask me."

"No one asked you!" I snapped back. The man only shrugged before getting himself got another cigarette to light for himself. Leaving me to try and calm myself back down again. "Listen, Rick..." I sighed as I ran my fingers through my bangs for at least the fiftieth time that morning and tried to figure out just what the hell I wanted to say. "If you really want to take care of this, fine, but I'm done after this. Okay? I'm done."

"I wasn't asking for anything Claire... I just told you I'd take care of it, so-"

"I know, you're going to take care of it," I finished before sighing again. "Just... take care of it already, will you?" I didn't even wait for him to say anything else before I went and opened my door and sat down in the driver's seat. At first, I just sat there, not even paying attention to the men standing next to my car, but not long after I did, I heard the door on the passenger's side open. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I know I just said I wasn't going to ask for anything," Rick explained while shaking his head and sitting down next to me, "but can you give me a ride back home? My head's killing me."

I knew if I told him to get out, he would have without any question, but even though I wanted to get as far away from Rick as I could at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to tell him to walk home himself. At least not until we actually got there.

Luckily for the both of us, neither one of us said much as we drove through the streets of town together. As much as I would've liked to have been able to take the same way back that I came, that was next to impossible for me what with all the one way roads I had to deal with, and so we had to wind out way up and down this way and that for much longer than I would've liked. If it wasn't for that, though, Rick would probably have just fallen back asleep with his head against the window.

"Take a left here," he murmured, fighting back a yawn. "It'll get you back on Main Street."

"You were leading me around in circles, weren't you?" He flinched when I said it, but even though I could've dragged it on, I decided it was better just to let it go. At least when it came to him wasting my time like this. "What'd you want to talk about?"

"Nothing really," he assured me. "I was just thinking about something is all." I bit the side of my cheek to keep myself from starting an argument with the man, but I didn't have to wait long for him to continue. Almost as if he knew exactly what I was thinking "I wasn't sure what to do with this, but... I figured you might want this back. It looked kind of expensive."

At first I had no idea what he could be talking about, but that only before the man pulled something out of his pocket. Something that just so happened to be baby blue satin with white lace trim and a heart embroidered in the middle.

To be honest, I didn't think about it much when I'd left, but seeing my bra draped over his finger, I regretted leaving it behind. Not that I had much of a choice since I hadn't been able to find it myself. A fact that made me wonder just how he managed to get a hold of the damn thing. Then, as if reading my mind, the man chuckled. "I was laying on it this morning," he explained. "You know, you could've just left the bill on my door. You didn't have to go all the over there to pay for it."

"Rick, we were drunk," I sighed, ignoring his weak attempt to change the subject. "Well... I'm not sure about you, but I know I was." After all, even for the most experienced drinker, a whole bottle of champagne was more than a little much. "How much did you have anyway?"

"Six boxes... I think." I raised an eyebrow, but he only sighed and lay back in his seat. "I just counted what was by the trash this morning," he admitted. "There might be more..."

He laughed then, and even though I didn't see what was so funny about him killing himself in such a way, I just had to smile. When I did, though, I finally snatched my bra back as well. Something that made him laugh just that much more and made me chuckle if only a little. It stopped soon enough, though... once we found ourselves parked in front of his apartment.

"Are you going to be alright?" I asked as a sinking feeling starting to fall in my chest. A feeling that only got worse after I started thinking that about the only thing he had to really do was taking out the trash and making the bed. "You know... I could always-"

Before I could say another word, I found his face right in front of my own. I only blinked at first, not being sure of what it was he wanted me to do, but he just chuckled and shook his head as if he was thinking better of something. He pulled away then, but I didn't let him get far as I took a firm hold of his collar.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured me with a weak smile. "I'm not done just yet."

"Just... shut up," I muttered. "I don't want to hear it." Rick didn't argue, really. Instead, he simply dug into the pocket of his jeans to find his pipe and lit it while we continued to sit there in front of his apartment. I, on the hand, just sighed as I leaned against the driver's side window and asked myself what the hell I was doing. After all, when I'd left that morning, I wanted to forget the man all together, and now I was telling him to stay with me... "So what happens now?"

"Well, there's two things we can do as far as I can tell." I waited for him to continue, but he just went on puffing his pipe. That is until I was just about ready to snap at him for it. "Either we can act like nothing ever happened, or..."

"Or what?"

"Or we can just go for it and see what happens then." I stared at him for a moment, not wanting to even let myself think he was being serious, but when he didn't take it back, I started to wonder. "It's not like either of us has much to lose as far as I can tell."

"Speak for yourself," I muttered. Even if I wouldn't admit to it, though, I knew he was right. I might have more to do than a couple of chores at home, but it wasn't like I enjoyed any of it. "And why should I go out with you anyway? Like I said, it was a one time deal, Rick."

"You're right," he agreed, smiling to himself as he cleaned out his pipe. "Next time I'll remember it."

I stared at the man for a moment as my cheeks began to warm, but he only chuckled as if it was the most plain thing in the world. "You were really that drunk?" He didn't answer. "So you're telling me you have no idea what happened?"

"Well, it's not like your bra wasn't a good enough clue," he replied dryly. "Like I said earlier, don't worry about it. It's not like I mind."

"But maybe _I_ do!" Ricked looked more than a little surprised to have me snap at him so suddenly, but even though I hadn't meant to, I couldn't seem to stop myself from continuing. "You want to know how embarrassing it is to wake up next to somebody I barely even know? And then I had to see that asshole just to have you come along and make it even worse! And now you're trying to tell me you don't even remember what the hell happened last night?"

"Does it really matter if I remember it?"

"Of course it does!" As soon as I said it, I knew I'd wish I hadn't. Especially after he started to chuckle to himself again. "Oh, shut up. You know damn well what meant. I mean... if I knew you were that drunk, I never would've done anything."

"Sorry, if I wasn't worth your time," he sighed, his smile now gone. "It's been a while since I've done anything like that."

"Why are you the one apologizing? I'm the one who screwed up..." After all, if it hadn't been for me coming to see him that day, I wouldn't have ended up spending the night over there. Sure, my car still would've broken down, and knowing my luck, Gray would end up being the only mechanic in town that was available. That wouldn't be so bad on its own, though. After all, if worst came to worst, I could've always socked him one in the jaw like I did a ways back. "Can't we just forget about all this?"

"Only if you can put up with seeing me every night," Rick reminded me. "You guys are the only ones around here that sell pipe tobacco... unless you want me to ask somewhere else. Be a shame when you went through all the trouble of ordering it for me."

"You can't tell me you-"

"Then I won't." I readied myself for him to make some kind of move, but when he did, it wasn't what I expected. Instead of kissing me or even putting his hand on mine, he just opened the door and stepped out onto the lawn. "Thanks for the ride, though. I'll see you tonight."

With that, he closed the door behind him and made his way towards the apartment. When he walked away, he didn't even seem fazed by what had happened, and had I not known any better, I might have thought he was walking just a little straighter with his head a little higher. The sight of which made me wonder if maybe something hadn't changed about the man. Something which maybe was more than what I could see.

I knew I could just run out after him, and maybe I would have if I didn't let myself think twice about it. Of course, I knew he meant what he said when he told me he would see me later that night, and as I pulled away and he walked in the front door, I had to wonder if maybe I might have something to say to him when I saw him again. The only thing I had to do was some thinking...

And then again, maybe it was better if I didn't.

--

**Author's Note:** Well, even though I know there will most likely be those of you who feel that this story has been left unfinished, I'm actually quite satisfied with how this ended. I knew from the beginning that I wanted an open ending, and after doing a little revising of my original idea, I can say that I'm just a little bit proud of this. And not just because I actually had the guts to post a lemon. ;)

Thanks for reading!


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